Intro to Passive Solar Greenhouses: Session 2

Thank you! years later - I am here to adapt your info to New Brunswick, Canada.

Great video. Thank you for making this video available.

This was an excellent presentation. Thank you for all the great information!

I have been waiting for this video!

Excellent video. Many thanks for sharing your experience!

Great Presentation! We definitely needed more data to help us with our own decisions on building more of these. Thank you for sharing so much of your hard work for our benefit!!

Wow, great, useful and applicable info. Very detailed and impressive data gathering systems. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing

excellent!

With regards to the pony wall, you could replace the doors with clear glass slider windows with screens. That way you would get the light down low and still have the windows as vents.

Plant talk starting at 1:20:00 technical design talk before that

Great video. Thank you. Why do you not coil up one 6 in. pipe from one corner to the other? Why do you need 4 in. runners.

When you were talking about heat exchanger tubes the diameter of the manifolds needs to be bigger than the runs between them. For example the manifolds and the pipes running from the manifolds to the surface should be 6 in. , while the runners between them should be 4 in. , this will give you better efficiency and air flow throughout the thermal battery. It will also allow your fans to work less hard, saving electricity and saving fans. I am not a master physicist or anything but i know basic physics. The air flow is pushing back on your fan if you place a 6 inch fan reducing it to fit into a 4 inch pipe. Also, if it is all only the same diameter then the air is only really flowing thru the first run, it will take path of least resistance and since they are all the same size it takes the first one closet, mainly. But with a bigger manifold(on both ends) AND the pipes feeding those manifolds to the surface, it will distribute more evenly thru all runs. It is a pressure/vacuum thing, you are building up too much back pressure/vacuum(depending if you are pushing or pulling) at the manifolds being too small to get free flow and even distribution. You need the air to freely get into the manifolds this way it will fill the manifolds evenly and therefore flow thru the runs more evenly.

We made one climatebattery with 10 inch space between tubes its working wonders 😊

Been watching the different videos on this project and am impressed with the data. Thanks for all your work and data collection. Good stuff. Question about the perforated pipes. My worry would be that since dirt would get in those holes and maybe clog them over time. In your implementation where you put the soil back in place it seems like a fine soil (as opposed to gravel) would clog. what about using a sock on the perforated tubes to prevent the clogging. Also when connecting the distribution tubes to the manifold, do you need to seal that connection so dirt doesn't get in there? How did you do that since I think the manifold pipes were corrugated. Maybe just some caulking? I think you may have said foam in the video? One other question. How many fans (4?) and what type of fans did you use? Thanks again for all your work on this. Kind regards, Mike

What a great idea! Thanks for all this research. My only question is do you have any problem with critters being drawn to the warmth and chewing into the tubes? An initial layer of hardware cloth or something like that would prevent that...?

Is session 3 of this series available for viewing? We are in the planning stages to install one of these this summer and are currently in the design and material sourcing phase. Really looking for insight and recommendations for thermostats, in-line fans, and all electrical equipment. Thank you for the amazing presentation and sharing your knowledge @Shannon Mutschelknaus!

Since moisture cools, would it make sense to try an dehumidify the air that goes into the battery during cold days? Or is that a battle that cannot be won and the pipes would get wet but just after a longer while? Not neccessarily electric, maybe just a mesh on the intlet that is able to catch the water and collect it or redirect it to the soil. Im also thinking of catching more of the sun, like a massive black backwall that fully contains the inlet. Can always block the sun with screens for heat prevention (glassfront and black wall), but must store as much as possible in december. Great data and presentation, thanks.

Thank you Mr. Mutschelknaus! These two seminars have been great! I am beginning construction on my backyard 14.5x48 hoophouse style with climate battery up here in Western Massachusetts. Similar zone, a little less sunshine. Hoping for the best! QUESTION: Can you point me to a good thermostat option? I am having difficulties finding something that will control the four fans to turn on over a certain temp AND under a certain temp. Would love your advice! thank you!!!

Has anyone done a coefficient-of-performance analysis to determine if the energy input (fan kwh) provides a net benefit in output? Basically, is the COP above 1?